Roger Huerta vs. Leonard Garcia
The fight was immortalized by a picture of Roger Huerta from the fight gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine in its first story on the sport. The fight was the UFC debut of Leonard Garcia. The Fight The first round began and they touched gloves. Garcia missed an inside leg kick. Garcia landed one. He ate a right hand counter. Four thirty-five as they clinched, Huerta got a single, Garcia stood up and ate a knee to the body and they broke. Huerta landed a pair of jumping body kicks. Huerta worked for a double, Garcia was defending. Four fifteen. Huerta had him down in side control defending a guillotine there. Four minutes as Huerta landed a pair of big rights in guard. Garcia worked for an armbar down there. Huerta took the back with three thirty-five. Garcia was a wildman rolling around. Huerta had both hooks though. Three fifteen as Huerta turned to mount. Garcia stood with an uppercut. He dodged a high kick. Garcia pulled standing guard with a guillotine and Huerta was defending. Three minutes remaining. Garcia still working for it. Garcia smiled. Huerta popped out. Huerta landed a good elbow from there. Two thirty. Another pair of elbows. Another. Two fifteen. Huerta passed to half-guard and landed a good left hand. Garcia stood to the clinch. Garcia stuffed a single to his knees. One thirty remaining. Garcia worked for a kimura from there. Huerta defended up to the clinch and broke kneeing the body. He landed three big rihgt hands. He got a single to guard. 'And the knee to the midsection!' Huerta passed to half-guard. One minute. Huerta landed a pair of rights. Huerta was cut somewhere I believe. Five big right hands downwards. 'Getting in a slugfest when you're on the bottom is not the best idea.' Thirty. Garcia got the reversal to guard. Fifteen. Huerta landed an elbow from the bottom. The first round ended. Huerta had a little cut by his left eyebrow, that's the cut from the first round there. 'That was the worst he's gonna do to you,' Greg told Garcia. 'Okay,' Garcia replied. 'He's got no power,' he added. 'You need to keep two hands up and throw one-two to the side. One-two to the side,' Greg instructed him. The second round began and they touched gloves. Huerta checked a leg kick. They exchanged wildly and missed mainly. Huerta missed a body kick and spinning high kick. They clinched. Four thirty-five remaining. Huerta got a single to half-guard. He landed five big elbows. Four fifteen. Garcia retained guard now. Four minutes. Garcia stood and they broke. Garcia missed a high kick. Three thirty-five remaining. They exchanged sloppily for a bit missing. Three fifteen. Huerta kneed the face. Huerta landed a right hand and another and ate one. Three minutes. 'Oh wow he looked for the finis there.' A left hook from Garcia. 'Oh good knee!' Huerta landed a body kick and a left hand and ate a body kick as well. Two thirty. Huerta missed an uppercut. He got a single to mount. Huerta landed a pair of good elbows. Garcia gave up the back with two fifteen. Two minutes as Huerta turtled him up. Garcia was still smiling as he pulled guard. Huerta landed a left hand. One thirty. Garcia stood and missed an uppercut again. He landed a good right hand. One fifteen. Huerta landed a right hand and an uppercut and a left hook. 'Stumbled him that time!' They clinched with one minute. Huerta got a double-leg to half-guard. He nearly had mount. Thirty-five. Garcia retained guard. Huerta landed a right hand. Fifteen. The second round ended. The third round began and they touched gloves. Garcia shot for a double, Huerta stuffed it and landed a high kick. They exchanged sloppily. Huerta landed a left hook and ate a leg kick and caught it and got a single to guard with four thirty-five. He passed to half-guard and landed a good pair of hammerfists once more. Garcia retained guard. Four fifteen. Huerta defended an armbar. He passed to half-guard nicely. Four minutes. A kimura is wide open for Huerta. Three thirty-five. Huerta landed a good elbow there. Three fifteen. Huerta landed a body shot. Three minutes. Huerta passed right back to side control. Two thirty-five. Huerta was working for the crucifix and he had it. Garcia turned and had the back. He was looking for the hooks and he landed a big right hand in under. He landed a hammerfist. Two fifteen. Two minutes. Not much going on, but he has one hook in. Not much really happening here. Huerta turned to half-guard. One thirty-five. Huerta landed big rights and lefts. More rights and lefts there. Garcia almost stood but pulled half-guard. Six big rights. One fifteen. Three rights and a big hammerfist. Another hammerfist and a right. One minute. A hard right. 'His face is all swollen!' Thirty-five. Huerta landed a pair of hammerfists. Fifteen. Huerta landed a left hand. The third round came to an end. They hugged. They went to their knees and hugged once more. Huerta had the unanimous decision.